OPERATION SIERRA STORM 2024 SPEAKERS
Additional Speakers will be added soon.
Dr. Daniel Swain
Climate Scientist with UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability
Dr. Daniel Swain is a climate scientist focused on the dynamics and impacts of extreme events—including droughts, floods, storms, and wildfires—on a warming planet. Daniel holds joint appointments as a research scientist within UCLA’s Institute of the Environment and Sustainability, a research fellow in the Capacity Center for Climate and Weather Extremes at the National Center for Atmospheric Research, and as the California Climate Fellow at The Nature Conservancy. He engages extensively with journalists and other partners, serving as a climate and weather science liaison to print, radio, television, and web media outlets to facilitate broadly accessible and accurate coverage surrounding climate change and the broader Earth system. Daniel is an alumnus of the University of California, Davis (B.S., Atmospheric Science) and of Stanford University (Ph.D., Earth System Science), and completed his postdoctoral work at UCLA. He also authors the Weather West blog (weatherwest.com), which provides real-time perspectives on California and western North American weather and climate, and can be found on Twitter (@Weather_West).
Updates from the National Hurricane Center
Central Sierra Snow Laboratory, UC Berkeley
Moderator / Conference MC
Rob Mayeda
Meteorologist KNTV, NBC San Jose/Bay Area
Rob provides weekend forecasts and contributes to weekday weather coverage for NBC Bay Area. He also produces and reports on weather-related news specials including the award-winning “On Thin Ice” a report on climate change affecting Alaska’s glaciers. The American Meteorological Society recognized “On Thin Ice” with its “Excellence in Scientific Reporting” award for “highlighting the importance of climate change’s relevance to future impacts to the San Francisco Bay Area.”
Rob’s career in broadcast news began off camera as an ABC News production associate for “20/20” and “Primetime Live.” He later joined the local news assignment desk at KNBC in Burbank where he worked in news special projects also seen on CNBC.
Before calling NBC Bay Area home, Rob worked at KIRO (CBS) in Seattle and at KCRA (NBC) in Sacramento where he spent three years as a morning and weekend weather anchor. Rob was also a weather anchor and reporter in San Luis Obispo and Palm Desert.
Rob holds the American Meteorological Society‘s Television Seal of Approval #1682 earned Emmy awards in 2015, 2011, and 2002 from the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences, San Francisco Chapter.
He completed his Master of Science degree in Geosciences (Meteorology/Geology/Hydrology) from Mississippi State University. Rob is also a graduate of the University of Arizona where he earned a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism and English.
In time away from NBC Bay Area, Rob is a guest lecturer at Cal State East Bay in Hayward for meteorology, geology and planetary science courses.
His community work includes the Lupus Foundation of Northern California as a former board member, annual emcee for the 5K Walk/Run and has travelled to Washington D.C. with the Lupus Research Institute to raise lupus awareness at congressional meetings. He was recently honored in 2015 with the LFNC’s “Top Media Ally” award at the annual Purple Ribbon Gala, and spends time assisting LupusLA at events during the year.
Rob and wife Sarah recently welcomed two fraternal twin boys Christopher Samuel and Jonathan Daniel into the family, they enjoy living in the Tri-Valley along with two Cavalier King Charles spaniels “Barkley” and “Riley”.
Social media updates available @RobMayeda on Twitter and Facebook.